


Between Friends

by Exitgoat



Category: Marriage Story (2019)
Genre: Adam Driver - Freeform, Adam Driver Smut, Angst, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Daddy Issues, Drinking, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Married Characters, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, estranged friends turned lovers, marriage story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:54:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exitgoat/pseuds/Exitgoat
Summary: To say, “you met me at a very strange time in my life,” would be an understatement for Fiona and Charlie. Fiona’s life had come crashing to a halt, and Charlie, well his just got turned upside down. They’re lost, looking for someone to anchor them down, to keep them afloat. Will they help guide one another out of the wreckage or lose even more along the way? Only time will tell.
Relationships: Charlie Barber & Mary Ann, Charlie Barber/Original Character(s), Charlie/Nicole (Marriage Story)
Kudos: 6





	1. Perfect Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> oh boy oh boy here we go
> 
> my first fic in a looooong time (since my one direction days) this is nerve wracking and slightly terrifying putting my writing out into the world but I hope you enjoy!

Fiona watched her feet glide across the impossibly shiny hotel lobby floor, her shoes slipping and sliding on the tile every now and then from the lack of traction. She let out a deep sigh, it had been a long week. Hell, it had been a long month, filled with a never-ending stream of endless days packed with a new wave of bullshit every hour and sleepless, stress-filled nights.

She was in the middle of boxing up her late mother's home and getting ready to put it on the market. Dealing with all the life insurance paperwork, closing her mother's various accounts, and moving into the Highlands Garden Hotel had proven to be more strenuous and all-consuming than Fiona has initially anticipated.

Her mind was a mess, worrying about all the things she had left to do, all the forms that still needed to be filled out, and the countless boxes that awaited her back at that empty house. The house that once was filled with so much warmth and love now sat vacant, unoccupied and cold. It pained her to even step foot in it.

Fiona hated going through her mother's life, hated that her life was reduced to fit into cardboard boxes, all her memories and possessions. It made her sick, choosing what to keep and what to donate or throw away. She wished, wished that she could keep everything, all the little knick-knacks and artwork and furniture. But it just wouldn't be practical, she knew she'd never have the space to hold onto everything.

Fiona rubbed her forehead lightly, willing the intrusive thoughts away with the pads of her fingers. She needed a drink. And noise, lots and lots of noise. The silence of her mum's house and of her hotel room was suffocating her. Effectively drowning her with the empty nothingness. She couldn't bear to stay in that room any longer, even the ambient noise from the t.v wasn't enough to fill the void that surrounded her.

She crossed the threshold into the restaurant, welcomed by the clatter of cutlery on plates and diners making idle chit chat. The hostess, a beautiful young woman with long golden hair, greeted Fiona with a smile.

"Hi, welcome to the Highlands Garden Restaurant and Bar. Are you looking to dine with us tonight or sit at the bar?"

Fiona smiled back at her,

"Hi, I'll just sit at the bar, thank you."

"Of course, it's just down this way and to your left."

The hostess gestured to her left with an open palm. There was a path there that allowed patrons to avoid the hustle and bustle of the dining room.

"Sit wherever you like when you get there."

"Thank you." Fiona smiled, walking past the hostess stand.

The path led to a short staircase that opened up onto the raised bar area. The area was dimly lit, the most reliable light emanating from behind the bar. There were tables and booths scattered across the area with tea lights flickering on each tabletop. It was cozy, almost homely, Fiona thought.

A few couples and one or two groups of friends laughed and talked amongst one another as Fiona made her way across to the bar. She caught the bar tender's attention, and he greeted her with a smile.

"What can I get you, miss?"

He asked politely, draping the tea towel in his hand over his shoulder.

"I'll have a vodka tonic, please," Fiona replied, settling in her seat.

The bartender gave a curt nod and got to work making the drink for her. It was only a few moments before the bartender returned, glass in hand. He set down a napkin and then the glass. Fiona mumbled a quiet thank you to him before he turned away, tending to his other duties.

Fiona glanced around the bar, taking in her surroundings as she brought the glass to her lips. Her eyes settled on a man sitting across from her at the other end of the bar. He seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

The man stuck out from the crowd around him. He was big, far too big for the barstool he was perched on. His back and shoulders were hunched over the bar top while his hands mindlessly picked at the beer bottle in front of him. He looked stressed, Fiona thought to herself. He brought his hand up to brush his dark hair away from his face. He had a strong profile, his nose protruding out from the rest of his features. Fiona smiled to herself, thinking of her childhood friend back home in Indiana, who's nose was just as prominent and strong.

The longer Fiona looked at the stranger sitting across from her, the more he reminded her of her old friend. The way his eyebrows furrowed together, a sign of the worrisome nature of his thoughts and how his hand would ghost over his upper lip. These actions were signs of increasing stress and anxiety, she recognized them almost immediately, and her eyes grew wide with realization.

The man she was looking at was Charlie Barber. He had aged, but then again, ten years would do that to a person, Fiona thought to herself. The Charlie Barber she remembered was a tall, lanky 23-year-old, all bright-eyed and determined to make it big in New York.

The Charlie she remembered would be considered tiny in comparison to the one she saw now. He had really filled out, from what she could tell. He had grown into his body, his frame holding more weight than it did during the years that she knew him. He looked good, he looked really good, Fiona assessed, taking in as many details as she could. She could see it on his face that he had lived a good life all these years.

Charlie brought his hand to his face once more, pinching and smoothing out the skin on his forehead. Whatever he was thinking about, it wasn't good. Even after all these years, Fiona could still read him like an open book. She knew he was close to spiralling out, being all consumed by his festering anxiety and rage. The muscle in his jaw was visible to her, popping out each time he clenched his jaw. She had to do something to pull him out of his own mind.

Fiona lifted her glass to her mouth and took a long sip of her drink. Steeling her nerves, she stood from her seat and made her way down the bar to where Charlie sat. She took a deep breath, psyching herself up to talk to the man she hadn’t seen or heard from in over a decade.

“Charlie?” Fiona called out tentatively. She waited a moment. When he didn’t move or acknowledge her presence, Fiona spoke up again.

“Charlie Barber?”


	2. Penny for your Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Fiona reconnect at the hotel bar. A hint of awkward small talk, a dash of loneliness, and just the right amount of alcohol. Sounds like the perfect recipe needed for a perfect night, right? Right? Well... maybe not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a doozy, very plot heavy and dialogue heavy. This fic is going to be a sloooow burn so bare with me lol. I really want to establish back story and set the scene first before launching into the NSFW content (there will be smut in this fic, promise) Any and all comments/questions are always appreciated!
> 
> CW: tipsy!Charlie, drinking, lingering glances, angst, mentions of cancer, mentions of parental death, mentions of divorce, lingering touch, dialogue heavy, mature language, the very briefest mentions of pussy eating/blowjobs/sex

Charlie turned toward Fiona, the familiar sound of his name being called pulling him out of his introspective daze. He met Fiona's eyes with a confused look. 

From this close, Fiona could see each and every freckle scattered across his face. She also noticed the slight signs of ageing. Shallow creases were present at the outer corners of his eyes, across his forehead and around his mouth. 

They added to his appearance, made him look more mature and dignified. It was a stark contrast to the fresh-faced image of a young Charlie that stuck out in Fiona's memory. 

"Yes, can I help you?"

The deep baritone of Charlie's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. A slight blush crept across her cheeks as her eyes met his. His face was no longer contorted by stress, but there was still an intensity behind his eyes. It sent a shiver up her spine. 

"I knew it was you, Charlie. You always did stick out from those around you, huh?" 

Fiona joked lightly, seeing if he would work out who was standing in front of him. Growing up in Indiana, she would joke about how Charlie was a beacon in a crowd of people. No matter where he went, he was always at least a head taller than those around him. 

Charlie, however, looked more confused than ever. He tilted his head slightly to one side, his eyes skating over Fiona's features. 

"I'm sorry, do we know each other? I don't mean to be rude, but-"

"Oh, don't tell me you don't recognize me." Fiona interrupted him, "I know a decade is a long time, but I don't think I've changed that much." She flashed him a knowing grin, then looked at herself in the mirrored wall behind the bar. 

She had changed a bit over the years. Living in California, where it was summer all year round, gave her once pale skin a beautiful, healthy glow to it. Her hair had lightened naturally, from dark chestnut mahogany to a lighter auburn colour from the years spent under the sun. 

Her facial structure was more poignant. Most of her baby fat had gone away with age, leaving her with a sharp jawline and noticeable cheekbones.

But, besides these little details, Fiona thought she pretty much looked the same. Maybe she was a bit weathered from the stress of life, but she still saw the same young girl from Indiana looking back at her in the mirror. 

She turned her attention back to Charlie, who was looking her over again. His face etched in focus as he studied her, trying to match the face he saw now with ones from his memories. 

She was definitely familiar to him. There was something about the way she spoke to him like an old friend. When she smiled wide, a dimple at her chin appeared, causing a crease to form at the end of her laugh line. 

Yes, she was definitely familiar to Charlie, but he couldn't quite place where he knew her. 

It took him a moment longer, his mind lingering on whatever was bothering him before Fiona approached. But, when his gaze met Fiona's once more, realization washed over his face. 

"Fiona Webster." He spoke with disbelief, searching her eyes to make sure he wasn't mistaken. 

When Fiona smiled wide at his recollection, Charlie stood from his seat and embraced her in a hug. 

That smile brought Charlie right back to his high school days. Memories of lunch breaks spent in the drama room, meeting up in the morning to walk to school, and walking home together flooded Charlie's mind.

His body engulfing her with warmth and familiarity. She reached up and wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck. The smell of his cologne, sandalwood and citrus with a hint of some kind of warm spice (star anise or cardamom maybe??) wafted off his shirt as she let her head rest on his shoulder for a second. 

Charlie tightened his grip around Fiona's waist briefly before pulling away. He honestly could not believe that she was here, in this hotel of all places. 

When Charlie stood to his full height, Fiona noted that her earlier observations had been spot on. Charlie had filled out his frame. His arms were thicker and more muscular, his shoulders were broader and his chest… it was more substantial, but in all the right ways. 

Fiona remembered how boney Charlie used to be, but now, his chest and abdomen had a healthy weight packed on them. To put it frankly, Charlie was huge. He was truly a brick wall of a man. 

"You cut your hair…" Charlie said absentmindedly. Fiona was sure he didn't mean to say that out loud. 

"A few times since you last saw me, yeah." Fiona chuckled, beaming up at him with a playful smile. 

She instinctively tucked the loose strands of hair that fell around her face behind her ears. Charlie let out a nervous laugh before moving to sit back down. Fiona followed and sat down on the stool next to him. 

"I just meant that it's shorter than I remember." Charlie felt heat rise to his cheeks as he faced forward. He definitely hadn't meant to say that out loud. 

There was a brief silence as the pair took a sip of their drinks. Charlie started fiddling with the label on his beer bottle again, not knowing what to say next. 

"I hear congratulations are in order." 

Fiona mused, stealing a sideways glance at Charlie. He let out a curious 'hmm?', turning his head to face Fiona. 

"Your theatre! I've heard rave reviews about it over the years, Charlie, you're a great success!"

Charlie smiled bashfully, the tops of his cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink at Fiona's kind words. He turned away from her, without a word, and took a swig from his beer. 

"Oh, don't be so modest, Barber." Fiona teased, "I know you must be proud of the work you've done, the shows you've directed."

"It's a group effort, really." Charlie shrugged. 

Fiona scoffed playfully, shaking her head with a smile playing at her lips. Always so humble, she thought to herself. Charlie was never one to hog the spotlight. He always made sure that everyone felt included and celebrated. She was glad to see that he hadn't changed.

"It is! I wouldn't be where I am today without the amazing work and attitude of the cast and crew." Charlie defended, smiling at Fiona.

He paused, taking another sip from his drink.

"Everyone puts a lot of effort into every production. They do amazing work, really." 

"So what is the great Charlie Barber doing in Los Angeles, hm? Scouting new talent? Opening a new theatre? Expanding your empire?" 

Charle smiled lightly at the goofiness and grandeur of Fiona's questions, but it didn't reach his eyes. That same intensity that Fiona had seen before had returned. 

"It's… complicated," Charlie mumbled while signalling to the bartender for another round, "I don't want to bore you with the details." 

A quiet lull swept over them, neither of them speaking. They sat together, idly sipping at their drinks. Fiona was trying to find a way to bring up whatever was plaguing Charlie without seeming intrusive or coming across as pushy. 

It had been ten years, and Charlie had no reason to divulge his personal life to her. They had been friends for a long time, though, and Fiona couldn't help the concern she felt for him.

After all, they had been with each other during the roughest times of their youth. That would always mean something to Fiona. No amount of time or distance would diminish that. 

"How have you been? L.A treating you well?" 

Charlie's voice broke the silence causing Fiona's head to turn. She had been so wrapped up in thought that she nearly forgot he was still sitting there. 

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, L.A has actually turned out to be better than I thought it would be." She smiled fondly, thinking about all the memories she's made in this sunny city. 

"And while I'm no star-studded director like yourself -" she teased, nudging Charlie's shoulder with her own, "- life has been kind to me." 

"Oh yeah?" Charlie nudged Fiona back, a broad grin on his face. "That's good, I'm glad to hear it." 

He looked quite sincere then like he genuinely meant what he said, like the words spoken were not from a place of kind pleasantries but from a place of truth. Fiona mumbled a quiet 'thank you' turning away as she felt a slight blush creep across her cheeks. 

"Did you ever go back to school? After you left New York? I remember how devastated you were when you had to leave."

Fiona shifted in her seat. The memory of university and New York made her heart ache. She let out a nervous breath, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"No, I uh, I never continued school over here." She fiddled with the straw in her drink while she spoke, not looking at Charlie.

"It's not that I never wanted to go back to school because I did, and I still do! I just… there was just never a good time to go back, you know?"

Fiona looked over to Charlie, who nodded in agreement, before continuing.

"And between taking care of my mum and work, and just life in general, I wouldn't have been able to even find the time to attend classes, study and do homework and…"

Fiona trailed off, realizing that she had started rambling. Whenever school and university was brought up, Fiona had a tendency to get defensive. 

It probably stemmed from her guilt of having to leave school in the first place. She really had no reason, though, to get defensive. She left school for admiral reason, to fulfill her familial duty. 

She was so excited. Attending NYU had always been a dream of hers, one she and Charlie talked in-depth about during their high school days. Fiona loved New York, loved the bustling crowds and the sounds of heavy traffic.

She graduated high school a year after Charlie did. When she finally got to the city, Charlie was her personal tour guide. He took her to all his favourite places around the city. 

Her first year of university was everything thing she hoped it would be, and more. She had met some fantastic people and learned so many new things. She quickly fell in love with New York and all it had to offer, but unfortunately, life had other plans for her. 

About halfway through her second year of school, Fiona's mum got really sick. With her dad out of the picture, it fell on Fiona to be the one to take care of her mum to make sure she wasn't alone. 

Fiona left New York with a heavy heart. All of the possibilities of her future and the beginnings of the life she was building for herself faded quickly in the rearview mirror as she taxied to the airport. 

Fiona sighed to herself, stealing a glance at Charlie. 

"Hey, I totally get it. Life loves to throw curveballs." He gave her an understanding smile. "How is your mum, by the way?" 

Fiona chewed the inside of her bottom lip. She knew this would come up, knew Charlie would ask about her at some point.   
While Fiona had made peace with her mum's death during the many rounds of chemotherapy, it was hard to talk about. 

"She uh… Actually, she passed away a couple of weeks ago."

Charlie reached over, placing a hand on Fiona's back and soothingly rubbed circles between her shoulder blades. 

"I'm sorry to hear that." He spoke softly, then, his gaze turned downward. He hadn't seen Ms. Webster in a long time, something he now wished he could apologize for. He never meant for so much time to pass without reaching out. 

"She was always very kind to me, something I'll always be grateful for. Honestly, I don't think I would've made it through high school if it weren't for your mum taking me in, letting me sleep in the guest room when things got bad at home… she was an amazing person, Fiona."

"Yeah, she was." Fiona smiled meekly at Charlie before turning away. 

She could feel tears start to form and collect at her eyes' waterline, threatening to spill over. She directed her gaze up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly, willing the tears to go away. 

This is not the time or the place she thought to herself, as Charlie continued to trace soft circles across the expanse of her back. Fiona cleared her throat before speaking again. 

"Yeah, my mum loved you, considered you to be one of her own. She would always say that she'd just pack up your things one day and steal you away to come live with us."

"That sounds like her." Charlie chuckled while Fiona's face broke out in a grin. 

"I think she may have even looked into ways she could adopt you."

The pair giggled some more and continued to reminisce about their shared teenage years. The topic changed to their time in high school, how they would spend lunch breaks in the drama room and the many many misadventures of their science teacher Mrs. Horowitz, who always managed to set something on fire during lab days. 

They recounted the many late-night movie marathons they would have whenever Charlie stayed over on weekends. How they would morph into sincere heart to hearts out in the backyard, under the night sky.

Fiona and Charlie quickly fell into a rhythm as their conversation continued on into the late-night hours. There were no more awkward silences or weird disjointed topic changes. 

Talking with Charlie felt effortless, Fiona noticed. She hadn't realized how much she missed him before now. Sure, she thought about him in passing from time to time, but her thoughts never dwelled on him or the past for too long.

The drinks continued to flow along with their conversation. Fiona was currently working on her third vodka tonic of the night, and Charlie was halfway through his sixth beer. Fiona was definitely feeling a little buzzed at this point, and she was sure that Charlie was, at the very least, a little tipsy. 

You wouldn't know it just by looking at him, but Charlie was a lightweight. He always had been. The sheer size and magnitude of his body would have most people convinced that Charlie could handle himself, but Fiona knew better.

If past experience wasn't enough to be sure of his drunkenness, his demeanour gave his definitely gave it away. During one of Charlie's stories about his son, Henry, he had unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, exposing his white undershirt. 

Fiona's musings, and Charlie's story, were interrupted by the sound of Fiona's ringtone. 

"Shit, sorry," she mumbled to him, fishing into her pants' back pocket for her phone. 

When she pulled it out, she saw the name DANIEL WEBSTER flash at the top. Her brows furrowed, and a huff of air involuntarily escaped from between her lips. 

"Do you need to get that?" Charlie inquired, stealing a quick glance over Fiona's shoulder. 

"Hmm? Oh, no ", she turned the ringer off and set the phone down on the bar before turning her attention back to Charlie, "it's not important." 

"I take it you and Dan still aren't on good terms, huh?"

Fiona scoffed and shrugged her shoulders, "I honestly don't think my brother and I have ever been on good terms." 

Charlie's eyebrow quirked up, and he let out an amused hum. There was an alcohol-induced grin playing at his lips as he faced forward to sip his drink. 

He silently agreed with Fiona, thinking back to the few times he interacted with Dan. Charlie remembered how, no matter what the situation was or the topic of conversation, Fiona and her brother were always on opposing sides. 

It's now, or never Fiona thought to herself, taking in Charlie's appearance.

He looked relaxed for the first time since Fiona had sat down. His elbow rested on the polished wood bar top, and his head was propped up by the palm of his hand. 

She'd only have one chance to bring up whatever was troubling her estranged friend, and it had to be now as they both let a comfortable silence sweep over them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Fiona asked while leaning on the bar, mimicking Charlie's position. 

Charlie's eyes flicked toward Fiona, the grin still present on his face. He let out a light chuckle as he replied, "what?"

"I can tell… or at least it seems like something's bugging you." Fiona paused, searching Charlie's features. 

"Or at least that something is weighing on your mind. I could tell from the other side of the bar."

Charlie stayed silent, watching Fiona closely. The intensity returned to his eyes, and it was too much to bear. Fiona adverted her gaze to her free hand, as her fingers traced along the ridges and grooves on the bar top. 

"Obviously, you don't have to tell me. I mean, we're practically strangers, but -" 

"We're not really strangers, though, Fiona. Never were." Charlie interjected, causing Fiona to tear her focus from her fingers' movements to look up at him. 

"Right," she said, holding eye contact with him before dropping her gaze back down. 

"Well, either way, I guess… I just, I thought that maybe you'd want to talk about it with an unbiased third party, you know? Maybe I could offer some insight, or even just be a pair of ears who'll listen without judgement." 

Fiona shrugged her shoulders, not daring to look up at Charlie. She was worried she stepped over a line, crossed some boundary of Charlie's without realizing. 

On the other hand, Charlie was surprised and touched that she wanted to help him, even after all this time. It caught him off guard a little bit, to know that Fiona could still read his body language. It was as if the past ten years had never gone by. As if they hadn't fallen out of touch. 

  
"You're right…," Charlie sighed.

Fiona glanced up at him then, her eyes studying his face. She stayed silent as she leaned off the bar, straightening out her posture, waiting for Charlie to continue. 

"Can you keep this just between us?" Charlie knew that is was foolish to ask such a thing. He knew even before the question had left his lips, but he had to ask, just to be safe. 

He knew that whatever he told Fiona, she would keep it to her self. She had proven that a thousand times over in the years they had known one another. 

"Who am I going to tell?" Fiona teased lightly because, really, who was she going to tell? Her only confidant was her mum, and it wasn't like she and Charlie shared many mutual friends.

Charlie held her gaze; each muscle in his face was set and rigid. The stern look he gave her caused Fiona's smile to drop a little. She gave a curt nod and said,

"Just between us." 

Charlie relaxed a little, letting out a deep breath. He sat up a little straighter and ran a hand through his hair. 

"Nicole, my wife, is here in L.A for a new project she's working on, and she brought Henry down with her a couple of days ago."

Charlie paused for a second, his fingers absentmindedly twisting his wedding band around his ring finger. 

"I got in today, and I thought that we'd have some family time, see Nicole's family who lives down here, and just have a nice mini-vacation before I have to go back to New York." 

Fiona nodded her head, listening intently and watching Charlie closely. He was starting to tense up again. His shoulders were pinched up together, and his brow was furrowed as he recounted the events that took place earlier in his day. 

"Anyway, I finally get to the house after being stuck on a plane for five hours. I'm not even in the house for more than 10 minutes when I'm served with fucking divorce papers, by my own sister in law!"

Charlie let out a huff of air, wringing his hands together.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Charlie." Fiona tried to console him, reaching over to rub circles on his back. 

The corner's of Charlie's mouth quirked up the tiniest bit at the returned gesture. He gave Fiona a small smile while trying to get his breathing to return back to normal.

He hadn't meant to get so worked up about this, and he conceded that Fiona was right; he did need to talk about it. If he didn't, he would just bottle it all up to fly off the handle at some unsuspecting person later on down the road. 

"No, don't be sorry. This has been a long time coming, actually, something we were already in the processes of doing."   
Fiona nodded.

"The thing that really gets me is that we both agreed, at the start of all this -" Charlie gestured in the air with his hands, "- to not get lawyers involved. We agreed that we'd use mediators and figure it out ourselves… peacefully, amicably." 

"Mm, divorce can be tricky like that," Fiona spoke softly as she continued to rub circles on Charlie's back at a slow, but steady, pace. 

"You say that like you speak from experience." Charlie looked up at Fiona, who offered him a small consoling smile.   
Her eyes held a touch of sadness to them, and what Charlie thought to be guilt.   
"Were you married?" 

The hand on Charlie's back stilled for a moment as Fiona's gaze drifted around the room before meeting Charlie's once more.

"I was, yeah. But, uh, not for very long." 

Charlie's eyebrows shot up at her confession, "You were married? Really?"

Fiona nodded her head. 

"I thought you always said that you weren't the marrying type." 

"I'm not. My marriage proved that." Fiona let out a small chuckle, shaking her head at Charlie. 

Her hand left Charlie's back to push her hair back behind her ears. 

"How long were you married?" 

"Just a year. I couldn't let it go on past that, it wouldn't have been fair." 

She cast her eyes downward, settling on studying the stripes on Charlie's button-up instead of looking him in the eye. 

"When did you realize…" Charlie trailed off, not knowing how to phrase the question. 

Fiona understood, though, what Charlie was getting at. "When did I realize that I didn't want to be married anymore?" She offered. 

"Honestly, the moment he proposed, and the moment I said yes, was the moment I realized." 

There was a brief pause, and then Fiona continued, "And before you say anything, I tried really hard to make it work. Joseph, Joe, was such a sweet guy. He was always so patient and understanding with me. Not to mention he was a dream when it came to stuff with my mum, and I really did love him. It's just…" 

She trailed off, looking up at Charlie again. He was studying her, looking at her so intently and focused. There wasn't any hint of contempt or disgust in his eyes, like she had anticipated, so she continued.

"I never felt like a… like a bride. I didn't get any butterflies when trying on dresses or arranging things like the floral centrepieces or the napkins' colour. I didn't get nervous the night before or when I was walking down the aisle. And I know I shouldn't have gone through with the wedding, let alone stay married for a year."

Fiona sighed, "I just desperately wanted to make it work, for Joe and for me. It's just not who I am, you know?" 

Charlie nodded, "You can't force these types of things." 

"Anyway, to make a long story short, I told Joe, and he did not take it well. He filed for divorce, and we had a long and lengthy battle over our mutual assets and who gets what. In the end, he got most of it. Which was fine with me because I effectively wasted a whole year of his life. He deserved more anyway." 

"Long and lengthy, huh?" Charlie's voice cut through the thick fog of shameful memories that clouded Fiona's mind.

"Yeah, but I'm sure yours won't be like that! Your divorce will probably just fly right by, quick and easy." 

Charlie's face broke out in a wide toothy grin. It was just so absurd, describing divorce as 'quick and easy.' He couldn't help the giggles that escaped him. 

"Here's hoping," He said, raising his beer bottle to Fiona, who, in turn, raised her glass. 

"So, do you have any advice for me? Having been through this yourself." 

"I guess I would tell you to try not to escalate things, learn when and what to concede on." 

Fiona shrugged her shoulder, "I don't know, just try to remember that regardless of how it plays out and who gets what, that you and Nicole were once in love. Remember that your relationship wasn't always where it is now." 

Charlie sat silently for a while, mulling over Fiona's words. While he had heard them many times before, from marriage counsellors, mediators, friends, and family members, it sounded more convincing when Fiona said it. 

Maybe it was because she had been through it herself. Or perhaps it was because Fiona had this convincing way about her. She could get anyone to believe that the sky was actually green just by stating it matter-of-factly. Whatever the reason, Charlie made a point to commit her words to memory. 

The silence between them was broken by a loud and amused snicker from Fiona. 

"God, when did we get so old!" She exclaimed with a shake of her head and a broad smile playing at her lips, "I mean, the last thing I ever thought we'd talk about is divorce, and yet…" 

It was just so absurd to Fiona. She was sitting next to one of her oldest friends from high school, talking about something as grown-up as divorce proceedings. She couldn't help the giggles that slipped out of her; the more she thought about it. 

Really it was a normal thing that happened to everyone, getting old. Still, she never really thought about Charlie getting older and having older people problems. And she especially didn't imagine this is where she'd be at this point in her life. 

At twenty, Fiona never thought that at age thirty-four, she'd be starting her life over again, lost on what to do next, or where to go, a university drop out, and living in California. 

From beside her, Charlie let out a deep chuckle as he watched Fiona, her shoulders shaking as she tried to suppress her laughter. Charlie knew precisely what Fiona was getting at. He was no stranger to the existential dread of a life half lived. 

Charlie had many late, sleepless nights. Nights where he would toss and turn in bed, his mind full of the endless anxiety that his best years were behind him. 

"Tell me about it," Charlie spoke once Fiona's giggles died down. "It's like one morning I woke up, and I'm suddenly thirty-five years old, like I aged overnight."

Charlie shook his head, a grin plastered on his face. Usually, he would pity himself for his life's dullness thus far, but the alcohol in his system has crossed the wiring in his brain. At this moment, he found the lack of excitement in his life as amusing as all hell. 

"I never did anything fun when I was in my twenties," he stated. "I never had any wild nights or one night stands. I never did any of the experimenting you can get away with when you're young."

Fiona nodded along, listening attentively. 

"I didn't do any of the fun, reckless shit you're supposed to do. No, I spent the majority of my twenties worrying about bill payments and mortgages, life insurance and being a husband." 

Charlie let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, his gaze directed at his hand clasped around his beer bottle. 

He had never admitted these feelings to anyone, not even to Nicole. But, confessing his feelings to Fiona felt… freeing, even more so when he lifted his gaze to see her nodding and smiling at his words. 

"Tell me about it!" She replied, perhaps a little too loudly. The remaining patrons surrounding them turned their heads at the abrupt, disruptive noise, but Fiona paid them no mind. 

"It's hard not to feel like your best years are behind you, especially when you had to grow up faster than those around you." She said, consciously lowering the volume of her voice a little bit. 

Fiona had never met anyone her age that felt the same way about their twenties. All of her peers only had good things to say and funny stories to tell about how they spent their twenties. 

All around her, people told stories about their crazy one night stands, pregnancy scares, partying, and the places they travelled too. Fiona never did any of that. She didn't even go anywhere outside of L.A for her honeymoon. 

"I spent my twenties and nearly half of my thirties taking care of and being responsible for my mum. While I'm so grateful for the time that I had with her, I just wish… I wish that the responsibility didn't fall onto my shoulders."

God, that makes me sound like such a terrible person, she thought to herself, taking a sip from her drink to busy herself and avoid eye contact with Charlie. 

"I know what you mean," Charlie spoke, causing Fiona to snap her head up to meet Charlie's gaze. 

"Don't get me wrong," he continued, "I loved building the theatre from the ground up and working through all the problems that came up during its development, but sometimes I feel like the stress of it all shaved a good ten years off my life." 

He chuckled to himself, taking a final sip of his beer and setting down the empty bottle on the bar top. 

"And being a husband was… rewarding in its own way. I learned a lot, through being married, about partnership and responsibility."

The bartender walked over to the pair, interrupting Charlie's next thought. He picked up the empty beer bottle and Fiona's empty glass. 

"It's last call," the bartender spoke, as he placed the glass and bottle somewhere under the counter. "You two need anything else?" 

Fiona turned to look at Charlie, who gave a slight shake of his head, then turned back to the young bartender who stood in front of them. 

"No, we're ok, thank you," Fiona answered, flashing an appreciative smile at the man, who gave a curt nod before leaving.

"There's just more I wish I'd done." Charlie continued, "I don't know. I guess it just feels like I missed out on a lot of things because I got married so young."

Fiona tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"Like what? What sort of things?" she inquired.

"Well, like, Nicole and I, we never, we uh we never…" Charlie trailed off, his eyes darting from Fiona to just about anywhere else. 

Fiona's eyebrow lifted, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "You never… what?"

"We never…" Charlie started again, his eyes still dancing around the room, trying to find a focal point. 

He glanced over at Fiona, her eyes wide and expectant. Charlie just sighed and mumbled, "it's embarrassing."

"Oh, it can't be that bad." Fiona playfully nudged Charlie's shoulder. 

Charlie shook his head lightly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. 

"C'mon Barber, you have to tell me now." Fiona urged lightly.

Charlie shook his head again. This time, a light chuckle escaped him. 

"Besides, it's just me." Fiona continued with a wave of her hand, "who am I going to tell? And it's not like I'm the walking, talking poster-child for an avid social life either. So, I'm probably in the same boat."

Fiona shrugged when Charlie met her gaze. There was a coy smile etched on her face, her eyes filled with sincerity. 

Charlie sighed, "We never did anything.. adventurous in bed." 

The words were just barely above a whisper. If Fiona wasn't sitting directly beside Charlie, she probably wouldn't have heard him. 

"That's completely normal, Charlie. Most couples don't have sex 50 Shades of Grey sty-"

"No, you don't understand," Charlie interrupted with a shake of his head, "We only ever had sex using two, maybe three, of the most basic positions."

Charlie glanced over at Fiona for the first time since his confession. Her eyebrows were shot up in surprise, and her jaw hanging open, lips forming into a little 'o' shape. 

Charlie nodded his head and shrugged, "Yeah, I know."

Fiona's face quickly dropped, making Charlie chuckle. She didn't mean for her facial features to portray her surprise so blatantly. It was just so shocking and not at all what she assumed at first. 

Fiona's mind was reeling with questions. She wanted to ask Charlie which positions he was talking about. He must be talking about the more fun basic ones, right? Surely he didn't mean they stuck to variations of the missionary position. 

Fiona went to speak, to reassure her friend in some way. But each time she opened her mouth, the words died on her tongue. She was genuinely dumbfounded, at a loss for words. So she sat on the barstool, her mouth opening to speak and then closing again periodically. 

Charlie stared at Fiona as he watched her process the information he just gave her. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head, her eyebrows furrowing together slightly, and her bottom lip snagged by her teeth. 

He tried to suppress the small chuckles the rumbled out of his chest as he watched Fiona at a loss for words. This was someone who always had a comeback, a word of encouragement and kindness. Charlie had never seen Fiona rendered speechless before. 

After quite some time, Fiona spoke, "Not even any foreplay?'

The question was quiet, mumbled, and laced with a tone of awe or wonderment. Charlie wasn't sure she had meant to say it out loud. 

His suspicions were proven to be right when Fiona looked up at him sheepishly, a bright red blush spread across the tops of her cheeks. 

Fiona looked away from Charlie, tucking her hair behind her ears. 

"I don't know if you'd call it foreplay, but, yeah," Charlie replied, shyly. 

Charlie could feel the heat rise to his cheeks, but he wrote it off as the effects of the alcohol. 

"What do you mean?" Fiona pipped up, looking quizzically at Charlie. 

Charlie cleared his throat, "We only ever did, uh, hand stuff. And only just to, uh, get the job done…"

God, he felt like a grade-schooler again, sheepishly talking about sex. He couldn't even bring himself to say the proper terminology. 

"Wait, so you're telling me that she never…" Fiona trailed off, making a suggestive motion with her hand near her mouth.

Charlie just smiled at her, shifting ever so slightly each time Fiona's tongue pushed out against her cheek. The alcohol and lack of food in his system had already fogged his brain, making him slightly dizzy.

At least, that's what Charlie was telling himself. As he watched Fiona, he willed his body not to betray him by sending blood down to his crotch at the lewd gesture.

"Nope, never. Not even on my birthday." Charlie admitted with a longing sigh, tearing his eyes away from Fiona before clearing his throat. 

"And she never let me go down on her either," Charlie paused, his mind flashing with memories of him nearly begging to go down on Nicole. "I think that's the one thing I miss the most," he mumbled, half to himself, half to Fiona.

Fiona nearly choked at the blunt honesty of his words. She remembered the way Charlie all but devoured his food like a man who'd been starved for years.

It wasn't long before her mind made the connection, images of what Charlie would look like, feel like, between her legs. 

Fiona's thighs clench instinctively at the thought, her cheeks and ears set aflame by a red hot heat. Her gaze shifted to inspect the different bottles of alcohol, lining the shelves behind the bar. 

The two sat in silence for a moment, Fiona meticulously observing each individual bottle. At the same time, Charlie fiddled with the wedding band on his finger. 

It wasn't until Charlie caught a glimpse of his watch, catching the time, did he break the silence. 

"Shit. I should probably get back." He mumbled, turning his head to face Fiona. 

Fiona looked down at her phone, the time reading 10:45. "Yeah, I probably should too, I've got work pretty early tomorrow." 

She pushed off the bar, giving her leverage to carefully step down from the stool. Charlie did the same, stumbling slightly as he untangled his legs. 

Fiona was quick on her feet, coming up close to Charlie. She wrapped a hand around his waist, putting the other firmly at the centre of his chest. 

"You ok?" she asked, looking up at him, while only the slightest hint of amusement on her face. 

Charlie stiffened momentarily at the suddenness of Fiona's touch but quickly relaxed into it. Her hand on his chest was so small, yet it felt so stable, grounding Charlie to the spot where he stood. 

"Yeah," he mumbled, "just these damn long legs." 

Fiona chuckled, squeezing the side of his waist before stepping back from him. Her hand still lingered on his chest, absent-mindedly tracing the buttons with her finger.

"You are far too tall to be sitting on those stools." 

Charlie returned her smile, letting out a breathy laugh. He was just about to reach for his wallet when Fiona's hand swatted lightly at his chest. 

Charlie looked at her, tilting his head to the side inquisitively. 

Fiona smiled, shaking her head side to side. "I've got this. You saved me from an otherwise very boring night." 

"Let me at le-"Charlie started, but Fiona swatted him again. 

"Barber, let me get the drinks, ok? You are, technically, my guest here in the city of angels, after all." Fiona winked at him before flagging down the bartender to settle the bill. 

When she returned to Charlie, Fiona looped her arm around his waist once again. He had been swaying where he stood, not noticing until Fiona was there to stabilize him. 

Fiona chuckled again, "C'mon sea legs, let's get you to bed." 

Charlie mentally cursed himself for only eating a few pieces of roast chicken and nothing else since his breakfast this morning. At the same time, he let Fiona lead him to the hotel elevators. 

"What floor are you on?" Fiona asked after pushing the 'up' button on the wall between elevators. 

"I'm on the fifth floor, I think.." Charlie fished around in his pants pockets, looking for his hotel key. 

He pulled it out from his back pocket, the number '515' scribbled on the envelope it was encased in. 

"Yeah, the fifth floor," he confirmed as they both stepped into the waiting elevator car.

Charlie took purchase against the handrail while Fiona pushed the correct button. 

"Looks like we're on the same floor." She smiled at him over her shoulder before hitting the close door button. 

Fiona stepped back next to Charlie as she watched the doors close shut. 

The elevator gave a sudden jolt upwards, causing Charlie to lose his footing and come crashing into Fiona with a grunt. 

Again, Fiona's instincts were quick, and she caught Charlie in her arms, a hand on his chest like before. Only this time, this time, their bodies were touching.

Charlie's legs tangled with Fiona's, and his face was so close to hers that she could feel the warmth of his breath fan across her face. 

The pair locked eyes. They stayed like that for just a moment before Fiona slowly pulled away, untangling her arms and legs from Charlie's body. 

Charlie cleared his throat and mumbled a soft 'sorry,' leaning back against the cold metal wall. He stabilized himself by placing his hands on the handrail beside him. 

Fiona copied Charlie, settling back into the wall as she focused on the changing numbers that indicated each floor. She placed one hand on the handrail, her fingers brushing against Charlie's briefly. 

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, staring straight ahead. Neither of them dared to look over at the other, but they would have seen identical blushes spread across the other's face. 

Fiona let out a breath when the elevator doors finally opened again. She stepped out, reaching for Charlie's arm as they walked down a nondescript hallway. This time, Charlie leads the way, interlocking Fiona's arm with his own. 

"This is me," Charlie spoke, coming to a stop outside his door. 

Fiona untangled her arm from Charlie's, turning to face in front of him. The two stood opposite from each other, Charlie leaning slightly against the wall. 

He was staring at Fiona, studying her face, with a smile tugging at his lips. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" Fiona asked, smirking up at Charlie. 

Charlie's smile widened, an amused huff of air leaving him. 

"It's nothing, I just was expecting this to be a shitty night," Charlie stated with a shrug, his hands finding purchase in his pants pockets. "And I definitely wasn't expecting to see you again, especially not here of all places." 

Fiona's head dipped down, her hands brushing her hair behind her ears. It was a nervous habit, a self soother of sorts, that Fiona had always done. It was something Charlie had always found it to be earnestly adorable, though he never said that out loud. 

"Hmm, I was pleasantly surprised to see you too. I, I.." Fiona paused. She wanted to tell Charlie that she missed him, but something inside her stopped her. 

Instead, she said, "It was nice to see you again, Charlie." 

Fiona flashed Charlie a toothy grin and gave him a light jab in the chest with her finger. Charlie caught her hand in his own before she could pull away. 

He gave a light tug on her arm, beckoning Fiona closer to him. Fiona's breath hitched as she looked into Charlie's eyes. His brown eyes were burning with… adoration? Sincerity? 

Fiona couldn't tell, but the look in Charlie's eye was warm and welcoming, impossible to tear away from. She had gotten so lost in it that she didn't notice Charlie wrap his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. 

She hadn't noticed that she wrapped her own arms around his neck, that Charlie was now smirking at her. Fiona cleared her throat and gave an awkward chuckle. 

Fiona let herself relax into Charlie's arms, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Don't be a stranger, Barber, seriously." 

"I won't.. I promise." 

"I'll hold you to that." 

Fiona pulled away, her hands dropping to pat lightly on Charlie's chest. 

"Good night, Barber." 

Charlie stepped back, his arms dropping from Fiona's waist, to fish out his hotel keycard. 

"Good night, Fiona." Charlie smiled. 

With that, Fiona turned around and made her way back down the hall towards her room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter definitely got away from me, just a little bit. And it definitely kicked my ass lmao but I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> School is starting for me next week so I’m not sure what my updates are going to be like, but I’ll try my hardest to regularly update!

**Author's Note:**

> any and all comments/ constructive criticism is always appreciated! 
> 
> find more on my tumblr!  
> exit-goat.tumblr.com


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